There’s a ritual in France, where on her 16th birthday a girl is taken to the La Maison Guerlain boutique, open on the Champs Élysées since 1914, to choose her signature scent. I think my first fragrance was bought on a P&O ferry, so I’ve always been enchanted by the romance of this idea, and it has inspired me to send several teenagers (including my son and godchildren) to a Jo Malone London counter or boutique for their own special coming-of-age moment.
The appointment is free (book to ensure an unhurried experience); the fragrances are obviously not. But ideally for a first perfume, not one of them is obnoxious or inappropriate –even if the recipient sneaks on a spritz for school – so you can encourage curiosity around fragrance without gassing out your home.
The teens I know chose Wood Sage & Sea Salt, Blackberry & Bay, Peony Blush Suede or English Pear & Freesia. All are delightful and can be worn forever if desired. It’s certainly a luxury experience, but Jo Malone does some more affordable lines that are a great place for a teen to start their fragrance journey.
I’m so glad that the Caudalie brand has caught fire with young people, because it means you’ll probably be able to persuade your teen to wear its beautiful, fresh and tasteful fragrances. All are great, but Thé des Vignes (£31), a musky skin scent with a touch of citrus and sweet – not sticky – ginger, is particularly appealing to teens.
A newer brand to watch is DedCool. If you can get past the dreadful name, you will find several very wearable, gender-neutral, teenager-friendly colognes. Madonna Lily (from £24), a gorgeous warm woods and gently spicy cardamom number is my favourite.
For a high end “special” present to perhaps celebrate a big birthday or exam results, Chanel never fails to impress. My pick would be Chance Eau Fraîche (wood, grapefruit, no sugar) or Chance Eau Tendre (apple, musk, spring flowers, both from £88).
In my view, Zara’s homage to the latter, called Applejuice(£12.99), is hard to dislike for the 10 minutes it survives on the skin before fading to nowt. I prefer its new four-strong collection of musks, each at £19.99.
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These are exactly the sort of fragrances many teens are wearing right now – powdery, sweet, bright and fresh – and they’re great for the price. The best of the bunch is Linen Musk, a clean, summery scent like warm, beachy arms.
